Support for roll of paper and other articles

ABSTRACT

A shelf having front and rear ends is adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which it is attached. A vertical stabilizing member extends downwardly from the rear end of the shelf between the bar and wall and has an adjusting screw projecting from the back of its lower portion into engagement with the wall to hold the shelf horizontal. The shelf may support a portable carrier base that has a vertical post extending upwardly for receiving a roll of paper. In such case the shelf is provided with means for preventing lateral movement of the carrier base thereon.

111111001 Mates Patent 1191 1111 3,844,500

Krause Oct. 29, 1974 SUPPORT FOR ROLL OF PAPER AND OTHER ARTICLESPrimary ExaminerGeorge F. Mautz [76] Inventor: Richard P. Krause, 1503Highland g fg Murray Flick Ave., New Castle, Pa. 16101 ec am [22] Filed:May 2, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 356,613 A shelf having frontand rear ends is adapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wallto which it is attached. A vertical stabilizing member extends downi i lig 'i wardly from the rear end of the shelf between the bar [58] Fieid55 42 55 2 and wall and has an adjusting screw projecting from 242/55 321 5 1 the back of its lower portion into engagement with the wall tohold the shelf horizontal. The shelf may sup- 56] References Cited porta portable carrier base that has a vertical post extending upwardly forreceiving a roll of paper. In such UNITED STATES PATENTS case the shelfis provided with means for preventing 1,224,106 4/1917 Golod 242/5554lateral movement of the carrier base thereon. 2,562,923 8/1951 Ko ivoski3,076,556 2/1963 White 211 1051 4 Clalms, 3 Drawing Figures 1 1 l l 1 1I 1 '-fir v /5 E 11 /4 */0 ,E-H I SUPPORT FOR ROLL OF PAPER AND OTHERARTICLES Most bathrooms are provided with towel bars that are rigidlysupported at their opposite ends by side walls of the rooms. The samething is often true of kitchens. These towel bars are intended forhanging towels made of cloth, but it would be desirable in many cases toalso have paper towels available. Paper towels ordinarily are dispensedfrom boxes or from rolls. It has been customary heretofore to usespecial wall brackets for supporting paper towel rolls; otherwise, theyhave to be placed on anything that is handy, which detracts fromtheappearance of the bathroom. The same thing applies to rolls of facialtissue.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a holder for a rollof paper, which can be quickly and easily hung from a wall withoutattaching it to the wall, which can be located in any desired positionalong the usual towel bar, which includes a carrier by which a roll ofpapercan be carried to another location temporarily, and in which partof the holder fonns a shelf that can support other articles when theroll carrier is not resting on it.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a front view;

FIG. 2is a plan view; and

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the roll carrier lifted from the shelf.

Referring to the drawings, a conventional towel rack is shown attachedto a wall I of a bathroom or kitchen. This rack is formed from ahorizontal towel bar 2 of any desired cross sectional shape supported atits ends by brackets 3 secured to the wall and spacing the bar from thewall in the customary manner. Supported by the towel bar is a flat shelf4 that extends several inches in front of the bar. The front part of theshelf may be curved in a horizontal plane if desired, as shown in FIG.2.'To hold the shelf on the bar, a vertical stabilizing member 5 isrigidly secured at its upper end to the bottom of the shelf adjacent itsrear end. This member may be a plastic, hard rubber, metal or woodenblock, or it can be made of any other suitable material. It extendsdownwardly between the towel bar and the wall of the room and its lowerend is provided with a threaded opening 6 extending through it fromfront to back. Screwed into this opening is an adjusting screw 7, therear end of which projects from the back of the stabilizing member andengages the surface of the wall. The front end of the screw is providedwith a head so that it can be turned. By adjusting the screw, thestabilizing member can be adjusted into vertical position with its upperportion engaging the back of the towel bar to hold the shelf horizontal.The weight of the portion of the cantilevered shelf in front of the baris great enough to prevent the weight of the stabilizing member andadjusting screw from swinging the front end of the shelf upwardly. Sucha shelf can be used as additional small shelf space for supporting manydifferent articles; such, for example, as rings or a wrist watch while aperson is washing his hands.

The shelf is especially suitable for supporting the base 8 of a carrierfor a roll of paper 9. This base is provided in its center with avertical opening 10 (FIG. 1),

in which the lower end of a post 11 is rigidly mounted.

The base preferably is circular as shown in FIG. 2. The

shelf is provided with upwardly projecting retaining means forpreventing the roll carrier from moving laterally on the shelf. Thisretaining means may, for example, consist of a locating pin 12 rigidlymounted in the top of the shelf and projecting a short distance above itinto a vertical hole 13 in the bottom of the base member, such as in thelower end of the post. The post is tall enough to extend up through theroll of paper encircling it. Preferably, a washer 14 on the carrier baseencircles the post and has an upwardly projecting flange 15 that helpsto center the roll on the post. The post extends far enough above theroll of paper to form a handle that can be gripped in the hand forlifting the carrier and roll from the shelf as shown in FIG. 3 so that,if desired, they can be carried to another location and set down theretemporarily.

Ordinarily, the shelf will be only wide enough to support a single paperroll carrier, leaving the rest of the towel bar exposed so that clothtowels can be hung on it. If desired, however, theshelf can be madewider and even wide enough to support two or more paper roll carriersside by side.

The holder described herein is simple and inexpensive in construction,and can be quickly mounted in place-by anyone without the use of tools.It is not attached to the wall, so it can be removed readily withoutleaving any evidence of its having been there. It provides a definiteplace for a roll of paper towels or facial tissue, and yet the roll canbe removed from the shelf for use elsewhere whenever desired, orto leavethe shelf free for the reception of other articles.

I Instead of supporting shelf 4 on a towel bar as explained herein, itcan likewise be supported in the same manner on the roller or bar of atoilet paper holder, provided the holder is the type in which the bar isheld by its ends out away from a wall so that stabilizing member 5 canbe inserted down between the bar and wall. When the shelf is supportedin such a manner, a roll of toilet paper can be slipped over post 11 sothat the roll will rest on the carrier base 8. The latter will be placedon the shelf but can be lifted from it by grasping the projecting upperend of the post.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained theprinciple of my invention and have illustrated and described what I nowconsider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have itunderstood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated anddescribed.

l claim:

1. An article support comprising a shelf having front and rear ends andadapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which its endsare attached, a vertical stabilizing member extending downwardly fromthe rear end of the shelf for insertion between such a bar and wall, anadjusting screw extending rearwardly through said stabilizing member andprojecting from its back for engagement with the wall to hold the shelfhorizontal, retaining means projecting upwardly from the top of theshelf, a portable carrier base resting on the shelf and nonnally engagedby said retaining means to prevent lateral movement of said base on theshelf, and a vertical post extending upwardly from said base, thecarrier base being adapted to support a roll of paper encircling saidpost.

2. A holder according toclaim I, in which said post is designed toextend far enough above an encircling 3 4 roll of paper to form a handlefor lifting said carrier 4. A holder according to claim 3, in which saidpost base and from the Shelf- I extends far enough above an encirclingroll of paper to 3. A holder according to claim 1, in which saidretaining means is a pin, and said carrier base is provided with anupwardly extending opening normally receiving 5 the Shelf, and 531d bara towel the pin.

form a handle for lifting said carrier base and roll from

1. An article support comprising a shelf having front and rear ends andadapted to rest on a horizontal bar spaced from a wall to which its endsare attached, a vertical stabilizing member extending downwardly fromthe rear end of the shelf for insertion between such a bar and wall, anadjusting screw extending rearwardly through said stabilizing member andprojecting from its back for engagement with the wall to hold the shelfhorizontal, retaining means projecting upwardly from the top of theshelf, a portable carrier base resting on the shelf and normally engagedby said retaining means to prevent lateral movement of said base on theshelf, and a vertical post extending upwardly from said base, thecarrier base being adapted to support a roll of paper encircling saidpost.
 2. A holder according to claim 1, in which said post is designedto extend far enough above an encircling roll of paper to form a handlefor lifting said carrier base anD roll from the shelf.
 3. A holderaccording to claim 1, in which said retaining means is a pin, and saidcarrier base is provided with an upwardly extending opening normallyreceiving the pin.
 4. A holder according to claim 3, in which said postextends far enough above an encircling roll of paper to form a handlefor lifting said carrier base and roll from the shelf, and said bar is atowel bar.